Shloka 34
तीर्थवंशोपदेशः
Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters
भरतश्रेष्ठ! जो ब्राह्मण श्राद्धकी समाप्ति होनेपर “अस्तु स्वधा” आदि तत्कालोचित वचनोंका प्रयोग नहीं करता है, उसे गायकी झूठी शपथ खानेका पाप लगता है ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | bharataśreṣṭha! yo brāhmaṇaḥ śrāddhasya samāptau “astu svadhā” ity-ādi tatkālaucitāni vacanāni na prayuṅkte, tasya gāvaḥ kṛtvā mṛṣāśapathasya pāpaṃ bhavati || yudhiṣṭhira! yasmin dine supātra-brāhmaṇaḥ prāpyate, dadhi ghṛtaṃ ca prāpyate, amāvāsyā-tithiḥ ca, araṇyajāni kandamūlaphalapīṭhāni ca labhyante, sa eva śrāddhasyottamaḥ kālaḥ ||
Bhīṣma dit : «Ô le meilleur des Bharata, si un brahmane, à la conclusion d’un śrāddha, ne prononce pas aussitôt les formules finales convenables, telles que “astu svadhā”, il encourt un péché comparable à celui d’un faux serment au sujet d’une vache. Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, le meilleur moment pour accomplir le śrāddha est précisément le jour où l’on obtient un brahmane digne d’être le récipiendaire, avec du caillé et du ghee, le jour de nouvelle lune, et des produits de la forêt tels que tubercules, racines et pulpe de fruits : lorsque ces conditions se réunissent, cette occasion même devient le temps favorable.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual dharma depends not only on intention but also on correct, timely speech and procedure: omitting the proper concluding formulae of śrāddha is treated as a serious ethical fault. Further, the ‘best time’ for śrāddha is pragmatically defined as the convergence of a worthy recipient and suitable offerings (including amāvāsyā and appropriate foods), emphasizing fitness and availability over rigid calendrical formalism.
In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he gives specific guidance on śrāddha: the necessity of uttering the concluding words like “astu svadhā,” and the criteria by which a day becomes an excellent occasion for performing the rite.